North West rated the deadliest place to work

Construction is the most dangerous industry to work in in the North West

Published:07:30Sunday 25 October 2015

New research from Confused.com has found that 154 people in the North West have died at work since 2008

Construction is the most dangerous industry to work in in the North West - with 47 deaths recorded since 2008

Across the UK as a whole 1,025 people have died in work since 2008

More than 21 per cent of people in the North West have been injured in the workplace

More people in the North West of England have died in the workplace than any other UK region – with 154 workplace deaths since 2008.

New research has found that 154 people in the North West have died at work since 2008 – the highest work related death toll of any UK region.

The working world is a place often bound by health and safety procedures and legislation to prevent danger and death. However, findings found that, despite this, there have been 1,025 deaths in the UK work place since 2008, with the North West topping the charts.

Total Number of Deaths in the Work Place since 2008 by region:

North West 154

Midlands 122

London 110

Yorkshire 104

Southern England 99

Life expectancy for males in the North West is 77.4 years and for females is 78.9 years.

However, a person’s choice of profession could put them at a higher risk on a day to day basis. And in the North West, it appears you should be more concerned if you work in the construction sector, as since 2008, 47 people have died doing their job in this industry, more so than any other sector.

Since 2008, 319 people across the UK have been killed working in the construction sector, making it the most dangerous profession in the UK. And worryingly, the North West region equated to 15 per cent of these work-related deaths.

For those working in the North West, the second most dangerous sector is the services industry, with 39 deaths since 2008, whilst 37 people have been killed whilst carrying out jobs in the manufacturing industry.

More than one in 10 (12 per cent) people in the North West say they know of people who have died whilst doing their jobs, as well as more than one in five (22 per cent) admitting that they have seen people being hurt in work.

The most common injury in the workplace in the North West is people cutting themselves (40 per cent), while more than a fifth (22 per cent) say they sprained a joint. And shockingly, almost one in six (16 per cent) say they have broken a bone.

Despite so many people suffering injuries at work, and with an alarming number even dying, more than three quarters (76%) of people from the North West don’t consider their job or working environment to be dangerous.

Yet contrary to these opinions, more than a fifth (21%) of people who have been injured in work said they have been left temporarily unable to work as a result of of an injury, and it’s worth noting that nearly half (48%) of people in the North West are the main financial provider for their family.

Perhaps even more worrying, almost three fifths (58 per cent) of people in the North West say they don’t have life insurance in place. With many Brits having died at work, this just highlights the everyday risks we face.

Jessica Willock, head of life insurance at Confused.com, said: “What’s worrying is just how many people have died over the past seven years while carrying out their job. This goes to show how unpredictable life can be – and with nearly half (48%) half of people in the North West saying they are the main financial earner in their household, families could be left struggling should the worst happen.”